Updated. The Academic Senate of the Faculty of Science has agreed Dean's proposal to appoint Ctirad Hofr as Vice-Dean for International Relations.
The faculty management will consist of two female and six male Vice-Deans who, according to the Statute of the MU Faculty of Science, will represent the Dean in specific areas. Let’s look at the key issues they will focus on in their agendas.
Prof. Bláha considers it crucial that the functioning of Doctoral study programs at the faculty meet the standards of western European universities; that is, for Doctoral studies to be generally understood as an important step in preparing young male and female scientists for further career advancement, such as positions abroad, while also considering the specific needs of certain groups, such as female scientists. This should also go hand in hand with a change in funding, the aim of which is to ensure an adequate and stable income for Doctoral students so that they can devote themselves fully to their research.
Photo: Helena Brunnerová
Doc. Bochníček wants to continue his efforts to accredit five-year teaching programs. He also considers it important to coordinate the common pedagogical-psychological basis of teacher programs and to innovate the final state examination from this pedagogical-psychological basis. Last, but not least, he sees it as a priority to promote teacher training more widely, especially through a contact campaign and the strengthening of cooperation with secondary schools.
Foto: Ondřej Slabý
Within the development of international collaboration and internationalization at our faculty, he wants to establish new study programs and courses in English that will make our teaching more attractive for international students. Furthermore, he will promote INNOvative LECtures of foreign experts that will contribute to the effective transfer of the most recent findings. Finally, he will focus on implementing more frequent internships of students and academic staff abroad, as personal experience from foreign institutions will increase the competitiveness of our faculty.
Photo: Tomáš Janovič
Regarding development, prof. Leichmann considers it crucial to prepare the conditions for the successful submission of projects to the NPO and OP JAK calls, including setting the maximum support of the Dean’s Office for project applicants. In the field of science, in cooperation with the Rector’s Office of Masaryk University, he plans to carry out the planned ‘evaluation of science’, such that it brings real feedback to the faculty and does not remain a formal administrative exercise. In the field of quality, the priority for Jaromír is to evaluate the quality of the 2020 study fields. In cooperation with the other Vice-Deans, he would like to prepare communication mechanisms with applicants so that fully informed and motivated students apply to the faculty, and propose an admission system that would allow these students to be admitted for studies.
Photo: Lenka Jaskowiecová
In addition to a broad standard agenda related to the coordination and methodological guidance of study matters, dr. Lízal considers it crucial to strengthen communication with students of the faculty, and especially to the of the Directors of the faculty’s departments, and will also strive to increase the efficiency of the enrolment process, e.g., through early enrolment or through motivation of guarantors for a more personal approach to applicants. Pavel would also like to push for the introduction of a Dean’s Award for Best Educator, aimed particularly at teaching innovators.
Photo: Lenka Jaskowiecová
Doc. Munzarová considers providing maximum support for all the colleagues and students who work in such a dedicated and selfless way with potential students of the faculty and with secondary and primary school teachers to be a key area of her agenda. She is convinced that the faculty should not focus on research alone but also take a broader view that includes taking care of future students, which could then lead to original research results.
Doc. Svatoňová will focus on building the brand of the MU Faculty of Science as the best science faculty in the Czech Republic and a prestigious institution within the European university circuit. Related to this is the development of activities in the field of science popularisation and in communicating the faculty’s activities and its successes to potential applicants and the public. She also considers it important to deepen the relationship between students, staff and graduates and the faculty, as well as establishing new cooperative agreements between the faculty and external entities.
Roman Šimon Hilscher considers it crucial that performance parameters are included when setting out new budgeting rules, and that such parameters should not only be based on merit but also motivating. He also considers it important that qualitative parameters in the teaching and science fields are strengthened, especially regarding external evaluation (e.g. using the M17 + methodology), while also maintaining a certain degree of fixation from previous years. Part of his agenda will include active involvement in budget discussions between the faculty and MU.
Honorary doctorates were awarded, by decision of the Scientific Council of Masaryk University, to Professor Thomas Robert Cech, who made a significant contribution to the formation of the field of biological sciences; and Professor Peter Wolfram Michor, who made a significant contribution to the development...
A team of botanists has revealed significant changes in the distribution of species in the Czech flora. Their study, published in the international scientific journal Biological Conservation, analyzed the decline and increase of individual plant species in the Czech Republic since 1960.
